Spacecraft

There will be six spacecraft: four identical spacecraft which will explore the inner heliosphere, one spacecraft which will take its post near Earth, and the final sentinel to trail slowly behind Earth. They are discussed in greater detail below.

Inner Heliospheric Sentinels

The majority of the sentinels are the Inner Heliospheric Sentinels (IHS), which will observe the Sun at distances of 0.25 AU. This will be a challenge to scientists and engineers working on these probes, as this is one-fourth the distance between the Earth and the Sun. These probes will make in-situ measurements of energetic particles and plasma. Instruments to measure X-ray, radio, and neutron emissions will be included. Part of the mission plan includes Venus flybys.

Launch

It is likely the three Inner Heliospheric Sentinels will be launched together. The proposed launch dates are 2014, 2015, or 2017. The nominal mission lasts three years, with an extension to five years if possible.

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